Monthly Archives: October 2013

1. “Do Unto Others” (short story) – Jeremy is a street hood, lawless and unchained. When he is wronged by a local businessman, it becomes his mission to seek revenge. But his new enemy has friends – ones that don’t take kindly to intruders.

2. “Colors” (short story) – HarrisonStreet. Attorney, biker wannabe, coward. When he finds the bike of his dreams, it seems too good to be true. It is.

3. “Simona Says” (novella) – Simona has had it rough. Death, disenchantment, and disappointment are all part of her life. She wants to be happy for a change, and she’s willing to do just about anything to find some. Anything.

A small town in western Pennsylvania – quaint, simple, peaceful. That is, until The Elder takes up residence. He has an agenda – one that is 1,000 years old, and cannot be denied. One that will change the lives of many – and end the lives of any who interfere.

I was born in 1957 in a small town in Western Pennsylvania that had – and still has – one traffic light. There wasn’t a whole lot to do there, and we had few neighbors, so I learned to play quite a bit of make-believe – soldiers, cowboys and Indians, that kind of thing. At the same time, I loved to read and watch old movies. On Saturdays, my dad played in a country western band, and I stayed up to wait for him. It was during that stretch that I discovered the horror movie. You know the ones I mean. Karloff, Chaney, Lee. The masters, right?

Fast forward 40 years. I’m now the project manager for a small civil engineering firm in picturesque Charleston, South Carolina with my lovely wife and four rescue pets, two dogs, two cats. Oh – and eight feral cats outside that put up with us because we give them two squares a day.

Anyway, since childhood, I’ve loved to create. I played trumpet, sang, even dabbled in genealogy. Nothing quite did it for me. Over the years, I’d composed quite a few term papers and theses (there are a few ex-teenagers in this world who owe their English grades to yours truly), and unfailingly earned an “A”. My wife knew this, and one day just suggested that I try writing.

What the hey, I thought. So I sat down and found a writing site called Hubpages. Nice little site, and I started getting the basics of writing a little from some of the inhabitants. I wrote a short story, and everyone liked it. So, I wrote another one. Except it kept growing, and I kept getting more ideas, and it lengthened to 20 thousand words, then 30, then 40. By the time I sat back, I had the rough draft of my first novel, except back then it was called “Werewolves and Flapjacks”. Somewhere along the way I decided to submit my work (now called “The Clearing) to three publishers. I was turned down twice, and miraculously was accepted by the gentleman who gently rules this site, Mr. Tim Taylor. And the rest, as they say, is history. By the way, you need to like Tim…he’s a great guy, and I owe him much, which can never be repaid.

I now have a second book available – “Restless Souls: 3 dark fables” – an anthology (novella and two short stories) of ghost stories, and life is grand.

Even though I make wise cracks about all of it, this is all like living a dream – and I don’t plan on waking up for a very long time.

Like this:

Welcome to the Christmas Blog Tour: A group of authors entertaining their readers with some thrilling tales of fiction. Let’s find out what they are up to at the moment. Santa Claus wants to ask some questions. Indeed, they’ve all been asked the same questions as they introduce themselves and their work. So let’s hear what they have to say. First up is Ceri London.

Q. Whereabouts do you live, Ceri? A. I live in West Sussex, England, just south of the High Weald, an area of outstanding natural beauty with Ashdown Forest a short drive away.

Q. Are you a full time writer or do you have a regular job? A. I feel like a full-time writer as I work every spare moment I have, but I do have a day job — I have been tutoring piano for several years now.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time?

Walking to the stables with the kids

A. Naturally, I enjoy playing the piano — not particularly well, I’m not a performer — and it won’t surprise anyone to discover I love reading! Writing has been my hobby for years. I did try horse-riding when my children were younger, but quickly decided the world raced by way too quickly for my liking when I rode a horse. I much prefer writing where I’m in control of the worlds I create.

Santa

Q. Name three people you would like to entertain for Christmas dinner and why? A. I would love to entertain: Michael Bublé, a genuine nice guy who would be fun and with a voice to die for; Daniel Craig, who is my favourite James Bond; and Gillian Anderson, for my husband, and because we loved X-files.

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world this Christmas where would it be? A. We honeymooned in Mayrhofen, Zillertal valley, Tirol, and as a child I loved Elinor Brent-Dyer’s Chalet School novels, so I have this romantic notion of a beautiful, warm and cosy alpine chalet nestled somewhere in the snow-covered slopes of Austria.

Christmas Tree

Q. If you had one Christmas wish, what would it be? A. For my children to be happy and fulfilled in their lives.

A. The mix of English and Polish Christmas traditions. We celebrate Wigilia, a traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper consisting of fish and salad dishes generously interspersed with shots of Polish vodka, all followed by a visit from the Christmas angel, Aniowek, bearing gifts. Then we have all the English traditions the next day!

Q. What is a favourite childhood memory of Christmas? A. My mother used to make a huge confectionary box of homemade sweets including coconut ice, honeycomb candy and peppermint creams of all colours. I still remember the taste and helping my mother to make them when I got older.

Candle

Q. What is the worst Christmas you have ever experienced? A. The best Christmas celebrations are when the whole family get together and there was one year when parents were having fun elsewhere. I missed the commotion and excitement.

Q. Are you currently published for Christmas or do you have a ‘work in action’ you want to tell us about?

A World of Romance (Adult content)

A. My debut sci-fi and fantasy novel Shimmer in the Dark: Rogue Genesis is published and a great inspirational story for the season. I am currently working on its sequel and also working on a short story, a spin off from my Shimmer in the Dark series, which will be published in an ASMSG anthology A World of Worlds sometime after New Year. I’m enjoying exploring the fate of a minor character in Rogue Genesis discovering a place of memories in this other worldly dimension.

I also published a short romance set in my Shimmer world called Ashes as part of an ASMSG anthology A World of Romance. Best of all, it’s free!

Q. Tell us about your work and what influenced you to write in this genre?

Shimmer in the Dark: Rogue Genesis Cover

I write science fiction and fantasy that turns worlds inside and out, but also love fast-paced action-adventure thrillers. My Shimmer in the Dark series uses a mix of characters from modern-day US military mixed with characters from a world on the far edge of the universe. I devoured Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation and David Eddings’ fantasy series in my twenties. All of them have inspired me. My Shimmer series has a metaphysical premise and differing timeflows that allow the characters to intertwine the two worlds despite the impossible distances between them. The result is an original combination of many ideas and because the urban setting makes it feel so real, it appeals to readers who would not normally enjoy a science fiction/fantasy genre.

Q. Do you have a particular character that figures consistently or are you in the stage of developing a lead character?

A. Major Niall Kearey is your archetypal all-American military hero. USAF Special Tactics — he rescues Americans and allies in trouble behind enemy lines. But Niall is a man with many secrets. All his life, Niall has visited an alien world on the other side of the universe. He has dreamed lifetimes of experiences on Astereal. Though only in his thirties, his skills and wisdom reflect a far older man. He is shrewd and discerning. He trusts no one with his secrets, not even his wife, but recent events prove that Astereal is real, and this alien world is dying.

Niall is a man under intense pressure from all sides. His wife, children, friends, government, secret societies, and an entire civilization of aliens — They all need him. Pressure does strange things to Niall. He begins learning new and amazing facets of his abilities to manipulate electromagnetism and astral projection. But his abilities may not be enough to protect his family, satisfy the needs of his government, and save a dying race on the opposite side of the universe.

Q. Where can we find out more about your work?

A. Just click here to access my book blurb, first chapter and a video book trailer. Rogue Genesis can be purchased:

Thank you. Can I invite you to meet my friends in this wonderful world of writing? Just click on the names below and you’ll find yourself reading a different set of answers to the same questions. Please support my friends and fellow authors by visiting their sites and checking out their contribution. Thank you for joining me on my blog tour.